Most quick assessments of a horses' foot are made, on a day to day basis, by farriers using their expert and practiced eyes. Whilst this does serve both farriers and the horse well most of the time, a system that provides more accurate, quantifiable assessment of hoof morphology might furnish hoof care practitioners with more information that can also be shared and analysed. The aim of this study was to explore if a handheld 3D structured light imaging system could be used to observe and document foot morphology accurately and repeatably in a stable/barn setting. This was a method validation study comparing a mobile system to the results obtained using a lab-based Computed Tomography (CT) and manual measurements whilst assessing eight cadaver limbs of varying sizes; both fronts and hinds. Three parameters were measured and recorded both before and after trimming; two linear and one angular, on each hoof using each each method (I.e. 3D imaging, CT and manual). Data collected was subjected to Bland and Altman (1986) statistical analysis which provided Widths of Limits of Agreement. The results highlighted issues, some unforeseen; largely in the data processing rather than image acquisition. Taking operator limitations into account the system provides comparable results to CT and the intra-method analysis demonstrates repeatability. The issues encountered are explored and whilst they describe limitations, they create the opportunity to change the way the system could be utilised in the future, opening up massive possibilities to hoof care providers. Validating and improving the method of capturing full 3D images of horses’ hooves is not just useful, it might just be the next big step in farriery.
Abstract
Can three dimensional imaging be utilised to quantify hoof morphology
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